This invention relates to a method of controlling a massaging machine.
Physical stimuli to a human body have been classified into the following six types: stroking, kneading, pushing, vibrating, pulling and patting. These stimuli are communicated to a body surface or hypodermic soft tissues to directly stimulate the peripheral nerves so as to relax the body tension. Indirectly, they accelerate the recovery of functions of the body as a whole, thereby improving the natural healing power of the body and the natural tendency to maintain the body in a natural condition. It has been expected that such massaging stimuli have therapeutic effects.
Such stimuli used to be delivered manually, that is, by massaging. Recently, massaging machines having similar effects on the human body by means of mechanical actions are being developed.
The body contacting portion of a massaging operation is performed in different manners. The masseur may form a fist and pat the body on the side of the little finger. The strength of operation can be controlled by forming the fist tightly or lightly. The masseur may open the operating hand with all fingers stretched and pat the patient's body repeatedly on the side of the little finger so as to provide small vibrations to the body. The masseur may further clasp both hands and pat the patient's body with fingers separated so as to deliver elastic forces. Various methods of reproducing these effects mechanically have been tried and incorporated into a massaging machine in the form of a chair.
One of conventional kinds of massaging machine was comprised of a structure dedicated to a patting operation, driven by a dedicated driving circuit. Another kind included contact members to carry out a repetitive patting action. If a structure dedicated to a patting action is used, the patient can enjoy the feeling of being massaged by a live masseur but the machine tends to become noisy. If it is combined with another kind of massaging machine, it becomes too expensive to be feasible. The method of using contact members is advantageous because they can be operated by adding a simple mechanism for tapping operation and a simple program but the patient does not necessarily receive the same feeling of being treated by a live masseur because the oscillatory stimuli are delivered too continuously.
Massaging machines would be more highly valued if they were capable of delivering to the patient the feeling of being massaged by the fist or clasped hands of a masseur, but it has been a difficult proposal.